Adebowale E. Ogunjirin has taught biology courses at Gallaudet since 2006. He earned his Ph.D. in pharmacology from Howard University in 2011. He is a licensed pharmacist in Nigeria, having worked at the Pharmacists' Council of Nigeria from 1999 to 2005 as an inspector of drug manufacturing companies. His other previous work experience includes solid and liquid dosage manufacturing and quality control/assurance of pharmaceutical products.

Dr. Ogunjirin's dissertation research was on nicotinic acetylcholine (nAch) receptors, which have over a dozen subtypes and which regulate a large number of central and peripheral nervous system functions. Dr. Ogunjirin synthesized and tested five new compounds using biological assays, with the goal of eventually identifying drugs that would be specific for a nAch receptor subtype.